An Automotive Milestone

In a move with earth-shattering implications for the modern-day culture
of the car in Lamont and Shafter, George Selden “invented”
the car a hundred and twenty years ago this month.

On November 5, 1895, the U.S. Patent Office awarded the Rochester attorney
a patent for an “improved road engine” that uses a “liquid-hydrocarbon
engine of the compression type.” Mr. Selden never built such an
engine, and in fact largely copied the design from one he had seen in
1872. In 1899, he sold the patent to an auto manufacturing group, which
sued anyone who bought a car that did not have the Selden patent. The
Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers eventually included over
thirty car makers; the ALAM came up with the slogan “Don’t buy a lawsuit with your new automobile.”

As Henry Ford prepared to start selling the Model T, the ALAM sued him,
as Ford was not part of this group. Although a district court ruled that
the Model T infringed on the Selden patent, an appeals court subsequently
overturned that decision, declaring that the Selden patent only applied
to replicas of the 1872 engine.

VC 22348(b) Infractions

The Tin Lizzie had a top speed of about
40mph, and it wasn’t very safe to drive it faster than 30mph. So, 100mph
was like the sound barrier to many people who grew up in cars built in
the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. Now, the speed limit on some portions of the
Grapevine is 65 mph, and doing 100 in a 65 is like doing 80 in a 50: fast
but not noticeably fast, especially in a nice new rental car.

But 100mph is still the unofficial line between fast and too fast, especially
as far as insurance companies are concerned. In fact, insurance companies
put a VC 22348(b) in the same serious category of violation as a DUI or
a reckless driving. Since it stays on your record for 7 years instead
of the normal 3, your insurance rates could easily go up $10,000 during
that time.

An experienced, local, traffic lawyer can fight VC 22348(b) tickets and
often get the charges dismissed or reduced to standard speeding. This
can save you huge dollars over the long haul and save a 30 day drivers
license suspension.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to
giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets.
Call today at 661-349-9300 or email
attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español,
llame al 661-349-9755.

100mph on the I-5 may not seem excessively fast, but the fine is still
excessively high. To fight your ticket and save money, call Bigger & Harman.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.